Utah Royals hire Jimmy Coenraets as new head coach

The Utah Royals have hired Jimmy Coenraets as the team’s new head coach.
Coenraets has led the team as the interim head coach since this summer and joined the club as an assistant coach in early June. His new contract will run through 2027.
“I am incredibly proud to take on the role of head coach for the Utah Royals,” Coenraets said in a statement. “My focus is not only on winning but also on developing each player and colleague so that we can excel both as a team and as individuals, on and off the field. As the youngest coach in the league, I aim to grow alongside the club and work towards a long-term vision that benefits our fans and the community.”
The Royals started their inaugural season back in the NWSL with former Royals player Amy Rodriguez as head coach. Rodriguez was fired in June after a 2-11-2 start.
The Royals are currently 10th in the NWSL standings and will miss the playoffs this season with a record of 7-4-14. The team plays its final game of the season against Gotham FC on Nov. 1.
Following Rodriguez’s firing, Cousins and acting-president John Kimball met with the media and said the decision to move on from Rodriguez was performance based and not a disciplinary decision, as the Deseret News previously reported.
“We want to be performing. We want to be getting those points on the board. But I think right now for us it was, ‘What does next season look like and if we leave it any later, does that hinder next season?’ and that’s why we felt it’s the right decision to make now,” Cousins said in July.
When the Royals fired Rodriguez, the team’s front office switched their focus to next season and the identity and style of play they’d need to be successful.
“The reason for now is I believe that we’ve got a good six months to turn things around ready for next season,” Cousins said. “I think it gives the team time to really address where we need to be better, on and off the pitch, and for us to be ready to step into next season and really, really compete in this league. I think we’ve got a talented group that can do that.”
Now, four months later, the Royals believe they have done that with Coenraets. He has nearly a decade of experience coaching women’s soccer and most recently served as the head coach of OH Leuven women’s team in Belgium for five seasons.
“(Coenraets) is a true competitor. He’s been in this position before, so he knows what it takes to be successful as he was at his last club. I know he’s been thrown in at the deep end, but he’s definitely ready for the challenge,” Cousins said in July.